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Trafalgar's Sons Figure Prominantly in Arc De Triomphe

Original article written by Marzy Dotes posted 11 years 1 week ago

Trafalgar stood on display in his paddock at the horse park, thinking of all the breeding appointments waiting for him back home in Wemberley Estate. The majestic dark bay horse had already crowned himself the star of the show that would unfold nearby at Paris Race Park later that week.

He’d been invited to be the guest of honor at an impromptu horse exhibit set up to house some of the past winners and sires of the competitors in this year’s $5 million Grade I Arc De Triomphe. The race has been billed as the greatest of all time in the entire sport of horseracing and has itself attracted a star studded field including a dozen millionaires.

But the former European Horse of the Year and cultural icon isn’t that impressed.

He sniffed that the purse is five times larger than the one he ran for just eight years ago during much harder times, believing that youth is wasted on the young.

At 12, he still boasts impressive muscles on his stalwart frame. Though small in size, he proved to be a dynamo on four legs and truly gallant in heart.
And a giant of sorts in the breeding shed siring over 285 winners without any trouble at all.

Still he thought that these relative youngsters had it way too easy.
After all when he’d competed in the Arc De Triomphe, it had truly been the most glorious moment, one that transformed the sport. The race course had appeared to be twice as long, the competition twice as fierce if memory served him and hadn’t he been decked out in more equipment? Still he had blazed in the stretch, like an avenging angel rebounding from his disappointing loss in the King George Stakes to win the race by five lengths, in the fastest time for the Arc De Triomphe in history. He sped the 1 ½ miles on the turf in 2:25 which tied with the world record set by another former Arc De Triomphe winner that also occupied a paddock at the park.

Still Trafalgar felt more than a bit dismayed even at the end of a glorious racing career which awarded him a slew of championship titles and the adoration of fans everywhere. Bred and owned by Ara Davies, he still harbored some angst over the fact that another one of her horses, Hall of Famer Conduit ran wearing fancier bling on his feet.

Whereas Conduit wore diamond studs on his hooves in his Canadian Breeders’ Stakes, Trafalgar had to settle for a couple of war wounds he picked up during his racing career.

A quarter crack and then later on, a bruised hoof after he did a lot of shed row walking while perhaps contemplating his future in turf racing as a youngster who would someday be something great.

Despite some hardship, Trafalgar was one of the truly great stars, perhaps a future Hall of Famer and his stall is filled with fancy bling from Asia, Australia and Europe. He’s also standing pretty proud boasting two sons that are included in the fully subscribed field of 14 racers. Not to mention that he sired last year’s winner, European Champion Older Male Andre who defeated Go Do in the stretch to win by a half length.

This year he’s got both Sir John Flagstaff and Gibraltar, two handsome performers who are well respected here.

Davies brought her homebred Sir John Flagstaff to Paris to join his better known stable mate European Champion Two Year Old Male Alexei. That horse is by the horse who shares Trafalgar’s world record, Stealth Ninja.

But the little piston of a bay colt, Sir John Flagstaff brings in his own credentials. He’s won 13 out of 17 lifetime starts so far and has only finished off the board once in a stakes race earlier in his career that was won by Alexei. He’s dominated most of his races in Europe winning the Prix Versailles, the Irish Derby and the Irish St Leger twice among others.

Last time out, he ran down the pacesetters in the stretch to narrowly prevail in the Prince of England Stakes. He came off of that race looking very impressive and as he galloped earlier in the week in final preparations, people marveled at how his hooves barely skimmed the ground and how his black mane rippled. Jockey Aaron Anderson picked up the mount after regular rider, Thomas Riddle committed himself to Alexei.

But Anderson believed that his horse was sitting on a big race. That perhaps he would channel his great sire in the stretch and fly home. His broodmare, a daughter of Hall of Famer Cressida had placed highly in several stakes herself.
Sir John Flagstaff of course has to face off against a field of mighty steeds waiting for the moment each would vie for supremacy and top billing in this one of a kind world event.

One of them would be of course Gibraltar a handsome and very stately slate grey horse with no markings on his glossy coat. Bred and owned by Erin Sanderson, he’s out of Global, the daughter of Hall of Famer Atlas a super horse who won both the Steward’s Cup Classic and the Turf. Atlas of course is out of the Hall of Famer and Broodmare of the Year Banner which makes him a half brother to Trafalgar. Global herself paired up with Trafalgar again to produce a striking yearling filly named Catalan Bay.

Gibraltar has won nine out of 13 lifetime starts so far and his fifth place finish in the Desert Turf Classic earlier this year was the only time this consistent performer has missed the board in a race. He’s raced in different circuits including winning the Nakayama Turf Stakes, Japanese St Leger and Japanese Derby. After his ill fated Classic, he jetted to Hong Kong to win his two most recent starts there including the Hong Kong Champions Route almost three weeks ago.

Craig O’Dell who’s ridden this performer in all his races said that his horse can stalk the pace or come from further back and shouldn’t be underestimated or lost in the shuffle of star performers.

Trafalgar attracted a lot of attention at the horse exhibit especially during the parade of the stars. He felt he was receiving his due for his rich history he boasts with this particular race. Until he realized that another stallion Moya who he had vanquished in that memorable Arc de Triomphe also had two accomplished and talented entries in this rendition. He snorted and stomped his foot when he saw the people surrounding the other horse.

Moya flashed his tail and whinnied as if he were challenging the horse that had defeated him that day to a rematch. The 12 year old handsome bay horse with the white stripe boasts the same solid build he had when he was much younger and wanted to improve on his third place finish.

Stealth Ninja thought he could take them both on but would much rather munch the mints that his youngest fans fed to him while his faithful jockey David Faulkner ducked reporters’ questions.

Not far away, the pensioned stud Explode stood in his paddock wondering how he’d gotten there and if his daughter Portrait in Death would even gain entry into the race. She’d always been the black sheep of the family preferring to run on some rather tasty grass rather than eating it though she had yet to win a race in 34 starts.

But Trafalgar did get his share of attention as people speculated whether one or both of his sons had inherited his formidable combination of strength and speed and whether one of them would prevail just like he did. His legacy as a successful stud seems already assured and it’s more than likely that he’ll turn out future offspring who will line up for the Arc De Triomphe in hopes of bringing it home.

Even if he didn’t wear bling on his feet.


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